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OpenAI is gearing up for its next major AI release, and it’s shaping up to be their biggest update yet. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, recently shared some exciting news about the company’s roadmap for GPT-4.5 and GPT-5. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s coming.
The Release Timeline
OpenAI is taking a two-step approach with their next releases:
- GPT-4.5 (codenamed “Orion”) is coming first in early Spring 2025
- GPT-5 will follow months later, with a likely release in late 2025
OPENAI ROADMAP UPDATE FOR GPT-4.5 and GPT-5:
We want to do a better job of sharing our intended roadmap, and a much better job simplifying our product offerings.
We want AI to “just work” for you; we realize how complicated our model and product offerings have gotten.
We hate…
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 12, 2025
trying GPT-4.5 has been much more of a “feel the AGI” moment among high-taste testers than i expected!
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 17, 2025
What’s New in GPT-5?
GPT-5 is not just another update – it’s a complete rethinking of how AI should work. OpenAI is combining all their best technology into one unified system that will:
- Handle voice interactions
- Work with images and drawings (Canvas)
- Perform internet searches
- Conduct deep research
- Automatically adjust its thinking approach based on the task
- Include the technology from their advanced o3 model
Good News for Free Users
In a surprising move, OpenAI is making GPT-5 available to everyone:
- Free users will get unlimited access to GPT-5 at standard intelligence settings
- Plus subscribers will get access to higher intelligence settings
- Pro subscribers will get the highest intelligence settings available
A Simpler User Experience
OpenAI admits their current model picker is too complicated. With GPT-5, they’re aiming for AI that “just works.” You won’t need to choose between different models anymore – the system will automatically pick the right approach for your task.
What This Means for AI’s Future
GPT-5 represents a significant step forward in AI technology. While it’s not expected to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), it will bring us closer to AI systems that can handle a wide range of tasks without specific programming for each one.
OpenAI is expanding the training data for GPT-5, including specialized knowledge bases that should make it more reliable and accurate, especially for professional use cases.
The Bottom Line
GPT-5 looks set to be a game-changer in how we interact with AI. By combining multiple technologies into one unified system and making it widely accessible, OpenAI is working to make advanced AI capabilities available to everyone, whether you’re a free user or a paying subscriber.
Stay tuned for more updates.